Monroe Park is Richmond's oldest park. It has long been a community resource and a diverse cultural hub for the Richmond Community. The park is supposedly undergoing a renovation, but progress seems stalled. In fact, the current iteration of Monroe Park pales in comparison to its former self. A large number of trees have been lost. Cool, shady, peaceful space is at a premium. Many of gravel paths are washed out to the point of being closed. There are no restrooms. The Monroe Park Conservancy, established to guide this renovation, has been less than transparent, appears to have financial issues, has made a number of environmentally questionable choices, and their greatest achievement appears to have been displacing a group of less fortunate people who largely peacefully hung out there for years. Todd Woodson, a Richmond native and longtime advocate for the environment and people of Richmond, joins me today to discuss the history of Monroe Park along with current issues regarding management of park renovation. Monroe Park needs the support of the community. If you'd like to see the park returned its past beauty, you'll want to check this out.

This week's segment features Marc Seccia, a very experienced educator who currently teaches in the Henrico County Public School System. Marc is here to discuss the challenges that faced teachers prior to Covid along with the impact of covid on education. Importantly, Marc highlights the importance of raising children to value civility, empathy and learning over test scores. We all play a role in raising our kids and building a better society. You'll want to hear this. You can keep up with Consults Over Coffee by clicking on the link below. Please do!

Small businesses are a critical part of our economy and community. Most small businesses excel at one thing. Outpost Richmond is a unique Richmond business that excels at several things. They're an excellent bike shop catering to the needs of all kinds of cyclists. They're an awesome neighborhood grocery store and a great place to find locally sourced products. And they're a welcoming and important part of the surrounding community. Frankly, as a society, we'd be better off on a lot of levels with less "big box" retailers and more places like Outpost Richmond. Give a listen to this interesting discussion with owner and founder, Braden Govoni.

My guest today is Brian Harris of Harris Training Systems in Chicago, Illinois. Brian is an incredibly well educated, trained and experienced professional with expertise in human movement and nutrition. He works with people at all levels of fitness and with widely varying goals. He's equally adept at helping senior citizens reagin strength and mobility as he working with elite level athletes trying to win championships. Brian is here to discuss reclaiming (or even claiming) fitness after a year that made active lifestyles and healthy diet choices difficult. The Covid 15 ain't no joke. For folks interested in learning more, Brian Harris' contact information is at the end of the video. Harris Training Systems is located at https://nextlevlfit.com/. Instagram: @nextlvlfit. Check him out. Ad while you're at it, you can subscribe to Consults Over Coffee by clicking on the "subscribe" button below. Please.

I'm joined today by Rob Sheley who's Type II diabetes was unmasked by medications that he was required to take for another medical condition. Rather than simply remain on medications to treat his diabetes, Rob took control of his life. Through diet and exercise, he was able to get off all his diabetes medications and bring his blood sugar under control. He's happier, healthier and free from the expense, hassles and risks of medications. Please listen to this inspiring story. Disclaimer: If this inspires you to take charge of your health through lifestyle changes, please do so with the approval and guidance of your physician.

We're joined today by Dana Frostick, local RVA artist and a principal member of Artspace, a local gallery promoting artists of all levels. In today's episode we discuss the value of art in society, particularly as a tool to help manage the stress and isolation of these times. Art is for everyone and the emotional and health benefits of making art are well established. We'll discuss tapping into creativity, resources for budding local artists and building community through art.

The cover image is "Wildfires" by Dana Frostick Links to Dana Frostick and Artspace are here: https://www.danafrostick.com https://www.artspacegallery.org

Small businesses seem to have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Joining me to discuss this is Scott Starbuck, founder and owner of City Soles. City Soles is an almost 30 year old designer shoe boutique in Chicago. Scott's story is one of a little anxiety, some creativity, a lot of perseverance, and now, a bit of hope. Cool guy. Cool business. Cool story. Check it out.

The cover photo features The Wiener Circle, an iconic in-your-face hot dog stand near Wrigley Field whose signage (and attitude) is always on point!

And check out City Soles at https://citysoles.com. Great inventory from around the world. And they ship free!

Suddenly, RVA government is very interested in having a casino here. Casinos are polarizing things and their impact of on surrounding communities may be best described as a double edged sword at best. Here to help us make sense of what's happening in RVA are Lauren Bell and Jason Haase of the No Casino in Stratford Hills Action Committee. They mounted an aggressive, multifaceted campaign that kept the Bally's casino out of historically significant and ecologically fragile green space in the Stratford Hills area. Plans are still on the table for a casino either in Scott's Addition or Port of Richmond. Have a listen and learn what this might mean for you, your neighborhood, your property value and your quality of life.

Narrative medicine is a medical approach emphasizing a patient's story as a way to promote healing. Focusing on the patient's story helps address the relational and psychological dimensions that occur in tandem with physical illness. In doing this, narrative medicine aims not only to validate the experience of the patient, but also to encourage creativity and self-reflection in the physician. I'm joined today by David Ring, MD, PhD. Dr Ring is the Associate Dean for Comprehensive Care and Professor of Surgery and Psychiatry at Dell Medical School which is part of the University of Texas at Austin. He's at the forefront of the narrative medicine movement. He's here to discuss the importance of understanding a person's story as fully as possible in order to prevent unnecessary medical or surgical interventions, and improve outcomes. It's great stuff. Check it out.

This week's guest is Nina Kraus, PhD. Dr. Kraus is the director of Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory (Brainvolts) at Northwestern University. She leads a multidisciplinary team that is internationally recognized for their work on sound processing in the brain. Dr Kraus joins us today to discuss the beneficial effects of music in learning and aging.

You can learn more about Brainvolts and their amazing body of work here: https://brainvolts.northwestern.edu. It's a fun site with lots of cool information for folks at levels of interest. Please check it out. They do amazing things.